Forever, Again

October 1, 2016
A contemporary white teenager becomes obsessed with a 1987 murder after she discovers that she is the reincarnation of one of its principals. All her life Lily Bennet has had violent nightmares. It is only when she moves back to her dads hometown that she realizes through a hypnosis session with a local therapist that she is the reincarnation of Amber Greeley, a girl who supposedly murdered her boyfriend and then killed herself. Amazingly, her new crush, Cole, has learned that he is the reincarnation of Ambers boyfriend. He is also, helpfully, a future FBI agentin-training with (highly contrived) access to the original murder file, so with him, Lily tries to clear Ambers name. The investigation turns deadly when the two learn that their own family members may have been complicit. Alternate chapters from Ambers point of view reveal what really happened in 1987. The occasional 1980s clothing and movie references are the only bright spots in a clich-ridden text in which this is a representative exchange: Hes trash. His whole family is trash, and I will not have my granddaughter associating with the likes of them! Even if readers can get past the boilerplate dialogue and convenient coincidences, the identity of the killer and circumstances of the murders are so preposterous that no amount of suspended disbelief will help them ring true. Skip. (Paranormal thriller. 12-16)

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October 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-When Lily Bennett enters a new school the summer before 11th grade, she attempts to keep her anxiety hidden. Though she is happy to be away from her ex-best friend, Sara, and her deadbeat father, she is burdened with recurring nightmares. Enter Cole Drepeau, a good-looking, charismatic classmate who befriends Lily on the first day. As they get closer, the teens discover an uncanny shared connection to a murder case that shocked the town back in 1987. Surreal events relating to the deaths of Amber and Ben, the two seniors at the center of the horrific past events, cause Lily to question her sanity. What she uncovers convinces her that life is more than what it appears to be. Told in the alternating voices of Lily and Amber, this page-turner goes beyond typical romantic banter. Filled with paranormal experiences, it delivers a plot twist that is sure to excite high school students. Touching on sensitive issues, such as eating disorders and domestic abuse, the novel stays grounded in reality while highlighting important topics. Though the entertaining 1980s references may go over some readers' heads and the action is occasionally contrived, this fast-paced romance-mystery is an engaging read. VERDICT This absorbing book is a worthy addition to high school and public library collections.-Karin Greenberg, Queens College, NY

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
Grades 7-10 In the midst of her parents' messy divorce, Lily is the new girl in town, living with her mom in the large, lonely house ruled by her formal and guarded paternal grandmother. Amber lived in the same town decades ago, and though the townspeople believe she died by her own hand after killing her boyfriend, Lily comes to believe something different. Amber is plaguing Lily with nightmares that make sleep impossible in an attempt to connect from beyond the grave to right wrongs and bring the truth of her life, love, and death to light. Amber's story is interwoven with Lily's investigation in alternating chapters full of small-town secrets; meanwhile, Lily's boyfriend, Cole, shares a family connection to Amber's boyfriend. In the tradition of Lois Duncan, Laurie pulls star-crossed love, the paranormal, violent ends, and investigations into a heart-swelling, page-turning package sure to please readers looking for romantic suspense with otherworldly echoes. Fans of Lisa McMann's Wake (2008) and Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder (2010) will be drawn to this haunting murder mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)